Local officials not concerned about impact of Marine Corps drawdown

Published: Sunday, November 25, 2012 at 12:50 PM.

Of the 20,000 Marines being cut from the Marine Corps over the next four years, 8,000 of them will be coming from Camp Lejeune.

But Jacksonville City Manager Richard Woodruff said he isn’t worried about the impact the drawdown might have on the community.

“We don’t see this as something that’s going to be in any way a catastrophic event or an overly dramatic event,” Woodruff said. “It’s over a period of three or four years, and we’re going to have a gradual drawdown.”

Jacksonville’s economy depends heavily on the Marine Corps and the stability of the base is one of the main reasons Jacksonville wasn’t hit hard by the economic downturn and financial collapse of 2008.

Onslow County Commissioner Jack Bright said his only concern is how the community will make up for the lost tax revenue from the 8,000 Marines and their family members who will no longer be spending money in the area.

“They’re out here shopping and buying goods, visiting our shops and malls and spending money and the sales tax generated from 8,000 people would be tremendous and that would be a loss right there,” Bright said, adding he plans to make dealing with the drawdown one of his top priorities for his next four years as a commissioner.

Woodruff wasn’t nearly as concerned, saying that the primary way county and city governments run is through ad valorem property tax and because most Marines in the area either live on base or rent a home, they already aren’t paying property tax to the city or county. Very few own a home that would affect the city, he said.

Of the 20,000 Marines being cut from the Marine Corps over the next four years, 8,000 of them will be coming from Camp Lejeune.

But Jacksonville City Manager Richard Woodruff said he isn’t worried about the impact the drawdown might have on the community.

“We don’t see this as something that’s going to be in any way a catastrophic event or an overly dramatic event,” Woodruff said. “It’s over a period of three or four years, and we’re going to have a gradual drawdown.”

Jacksonville’s economy depends heavily on the Marine Corps and the stability of the base is one of the main reasons Jacksonville wasn’t hit hard by the economic downturn and financial collapse of 2008.

Onslow County Commissioner Jack Bright said his only concern is how the community will make up for the lost tax revenue from the 8,000 Marines and their family members who will no longer be spending money in the area.

“They’re out here shopping and buying goods, visiting our shops and malls and spending money and the sales tax generated from 8,000 people would be tremendous and that would be a loss right there,” Bright said, adding he plans to make dealing with the drawdown one of his top priorities for his next four years as a commissioner.

Woodruff wasn’t nearly as concerned, saying that the primary way county and city governments run is through ad valorem property tax and because most Marines in the area either live on base or rent a home, they already aren’t paying property tax to the city or county. Very few own a home that would affect the city, he said.

Woodruff said the most important thing for the community to remember is that “the Marine base is not going to be going away.”

“Jacksonville’s priority — the reason why we even exist is that we are the home of the Marines,” Woodruff said. “We are proud of that fact and as long as we realize that we are the home of the Marines — as long as we know who we are and why we exist — then we’ll be able to keep a proper focus.”

Contact Daily News Military Reporter Amanda Wilcox at 910-219-8453 or amanda.wilcox@jdnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AWilcox21.